Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1952 #3 Review

Hellboy’s first mission takes an ugly turn when one of his team members turns against him. Will Hellboy be able to survive the assault from within the BPRD and the onslaught of terrors hiding in the ancient fortress above?

After just three issues and only two months into a new year, this is one mini-series that’s bound to turn some heads. What we have here is a quick and to the point comic book, that finds a way to play with an established hero while solidifying the world that would form the undercurrents of his character. And that right there, above anything else, is exactly why this title earns a place on your pull-list.

Mike Mignola and John Arcudi handle the burden of the written word, and might I say that these two authors continue to impress. The most important thing that this script delivers is an aura of foreboding, as a team of humans, more or less, takes on the supernatural while Hellboy faces an obstacle. There’s also a well-placed and brief sequence that points toward the future of the franchise, so trust me when I say that there’s plenty of narrative meat to love.

There are some artists that I see and I want them to draw every comic book character imaginable, Alex Maleev is one of them. But I guess we’ll have to make do with these pages and my oh my are they worth drooling over. The panels are detailed but simple in their ultimate execution, which yields a stylized atmosphere that’ll leave many fanboys and fangirls flipping back and forth. Add in the colors by Dave Stewart and there’s nothing in the visuals that warrants a complaint.

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D.: 1952 #3 is a fast moving adventure yarn that understands the boundless realm of the supernatural. With a solid cast, worthy text and the fact that I’m absorbed by the world of the B.P.R.D. as it existed in 1952 it’s no wonder that this comes highly recommended.